Gnarly
by MeridaFaeScott
Summary: If this wasn't a horrible birthday, Caitlyn didn't know what was.


**This is for POARD! She's my twin who lives across the ocean but is still very special! :D Her birthday was today and I cooked this up just for her today and only regret that due to time differences, she will receive it the day after her actual birthday over where she lives! :/ **

** HAPPY 17****th**** BIRTHDAY, TWIN!!! :D [I wrote this with you in mind as Caitlyn. ;) ]**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock. **

The clock switched to midnight and Caitlyn smiled slightly to herself, pulling her sheets up closer to her chin. It was midnight. She was officially seventeen. Now she could go to sleep and try to forget the fact that she had no one to celebrate it with.

The moonlight crawled slowly through her room as time passed the moon rose higher in the sky. The leaves on the trees outside her open window gave a peaceful rustling sound as the breeze whispered by. It was the perfect night. Summer was definitely on it's way.

Caitlyn tossed and turned, growing frustrated as ten minutes of sleeplessness went by. Then twenty minutes crawled by. Thirty. Fifty. And hour. With a groan at the length of time, she sat up and beat her pillow a moment. Mostly just to release frustration-she never really believed it helped rearrange her pillow and help sleep to come.

It was the strangest thing. Her eyelids felt heavy from tiredness, yet sleep seemed to evade her every attempt. The only thing waiting behind her closed lids was empty darkness, pulling her in. She recognized the feeling. Sadness. Loneliness.

With a sigh of frustration and a hint of anger, she kicked her sheets off of her body, now feeling warm and agitated. There was no way sleep would come now. Not after she'd gotten herself all worked up.

The room was still and silent as she slipped out of bed, the hardwood floor cool against her bare feet. Without a sound, Caitlyn wandered to the window and rested her elbows on the sill, tucking a stray curl behind her ear with a frown.

The sound of a far off dog barking was the only thing to break the peace of the past midnight world that lay before her. It was rare that there were no cars wandering the streets or distant sirens of some sort. Any other time, Caitlyn would find the soundless night eerie, but for some reason, it didn't strike her as so that night.

Caitlyn did, however, jump when her cell phone began blasting "Can't Be Tamed" and she had to slap her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. How could she have forgotten to silence her cell phone before bed? It must have been the movie that had distracted her from her usual routine.

"Hello?" she whispered into the small phone, a bit shakily due to the scare the ringing had caused. Her parents weren't home, as usual. They were always traveling somewhere. Sometimes her aunt would come visit for a few days-stay with Caitlyn as though being home alone wasn't a regular occurrence for her.

"Caitlyn?"

"Yeah, it's me." She muttered, biting back a sarcastic retort about someone calling her cell phone and expecting someone else.

"Happy birthday." She heard Nate's tired, but cheerful voice through the phone pressed her to ear. Caitlyn couldn't help but let the corners of her mouth turn upward in a small smile. Finally, someone took the time to remember.

"Thanks…" she whispered, not sure why since she was home alone. Again. But Caitlyn spoke again, "I didn't expect anyone to call as soon as my birthday came. Especially…"

"Especially me." Nate finished for her, knowing very well what she had been thinking, "Because we're busy with tour stuff. I'm not going to pretend I didn't know what you were thinking. Hey, I'm sorry I can't actually be there with you to celebrate."

"I know, I know." She stated with a defensive edge to her tone, "I wasn't going to complain."

"I know, it's just…I really, really feel bad." Nate's soft voice met Caitlyn's ear and she felt her heart seem to skip a beat at his tone. Could maybe he mean something more in that simple statement.

"Don't. It's just me, Nate, nothing greatly significant." A wry smile spread across her face, "And it's not like I'm used to partying with a crowd on my birthday."

"A crowd wasn't really what I had in mind." Nate teased lightly.

"And what, may I ask, did you have in mind-if you had been here, that is." Caitlyn asked smiling. She couldn't help it-Nathan Gray always made her smile for some odd reason.

She lay back on her bed, her brown hair fanning out over the messed up sheets and quilt, waiting for his response, "Just you and me, having dinner somewhere…with no one else to interrupt or bother us."

The image he painted came out far too romantic in Caitlyn's head and she shook it, knowing that wasn't the way he had meant it. Her imagination was just overly active-especially that night.

"Mm, sounds like it would have been fun." She commented.

"Fun?" Nate asked softly, "That's all I get is 'fun'?"

"What did you want? Excellent? Brilliant? Amazing? Extraordinary? Gnarly?" she couldn't help but laugh at the last description, but stopped abruptly at his silence. Caitlyn pushed herself up on one elbow in concern, "…Nate?"

"I was actually thinking more along the lines of special."

Caitlyn wasn't sure why, but just the way he said the words made her skin tingle as she laid back down on the bed in thought. Special. Special. The one word ran through her mind and made her imagination race in many different directions.

"Special? Well, we do have a pretty special friendship." Caitlyn commented, testing his words uncertainly. It was true. They were quite strong friends.

"Maybe more than just a friendship?..." his words sounded very near a whisper and Caitlyn felt her thoughts come to an immediate halt. There. Was. No. Way.

"…N-nathan?"

"Yeah, Caitlyn…I know…" Nate murmured thoughtfully, sounding a little bit regretful, "I just had to throw that out there…because…it's your birthday and I figured it's about time you know the truth…but maybe it was stupid…"

"No, no. Wait, what? The truth?" Caitlyn had been absently playing with her hair, but now her hand stilled. In fact, her whole body froze waiting for him to reply-explain what he meant.

"Yeah, I…really care for you," Nate sighed, as though he regretted it, but his tone said otherwise, "I can't stop thinking about you. You just…mean more to me than anyone else, and I…Well, I was kind of hoping you felt the same way…Maybe…?"

"No. I mean, yes! I mean-" Caitlyn blew out a breath in frustration at her mixed up words, only imagining the anxiety she must be putting Nate through, "I mean, yes. I do. I just never really…realized. Or at least, didn't want to admit it. Even to myself. It seemed…pretty impossible that you'd feel the same way."

"Definitely not impossible." Nate whispered. They stayed on the line for several minutes, both silent as they let the change sweep over them and they tried to get adjusted to the thought.

"Nate, I really wish you were here right now." Caitlyn breathed finally, blinking briskly to keep from letting tears fall. There was no reason to be such a baby. She wasn't sure if she felt like crying because she was so happy he felt the same way for her, or if she was upset that he wasn't there to hold her like she wanted.

"Me too, Caity, me too." Nate assured her, but Caitlyn could hear the smile in his voice, causing a grin to spread across her face.

"Thanks for making my birthday extra special." She whispered, "You've really given a memorable present. One most girls can only dream of receiving."

"And I only just sent your present this morning. That's what I call fast delivery!" Nate's joking tone made her laugh.

"Dork, you know what I mean!" she shot at him, grinning from ear to ear and not really caring if she looked like a happy, lovesick fool. The night had been okay, then turned for the much worse, but finally ended with pure joy that only Nathan Gray could put in her.

"I'm kidding." He murmured happily, "I know what you mean. Only thing I wish I could add was me there with you."

"Oh, man, me too." Caitlyn's smile faded only slightly at the thought of him miles and miles away. Her doorbell ringing brought her back to the present, causing her stomach to drop when her mind registered the sound.

"Nate, you…" she whispered ever so softly, only hearing him chuckle before the click of him hanging up. Caitlyn swallowed thickly and stood up before hesitantly making her way out to the front door.

Standing at the front door a moment, she gathered her wits about her, not even caring that she was wearing short shorts and a tank top. Her mind and heart were racing as she turned the knob with a sweaty hand, trying to kill her hopes-just in case.

Caitlyn was instantly swept up in strong arms and a sweet, chaste kiss (very perfect for a first, she had to admit) before that voice she loved far too much murmured in her ear, "I had to make sure you felt the same before getting the courage to ring the doorbell." The house was still dark and peaceful as his soft, warm lips met hers again.

**Must admit, I rather liked this! Especially for it being pretty much spur of the moment…:D I can only hope my twin liked it as much! **

** Hope you had an excellent birthday and I'm sorry this is the day after your birthday, your time! :) Wish I could be there for the party on Friday and give you a proper present!**


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